Make a batch of everyone's favorite appetizer, aka Italian Stuffed Mushrooms. These quick and easy gluten-free mushrooms are stuffed with Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. Makes 12 large or 24 small stuffed mushrooms. Low carb, keto, and paleo-friendly!
I love stuffed mushrooms. I mean, who doesn't love stuffed mushrooms? Even people who don't love mushrooms love stuffed mushrooms! They are delicious filled with various ingredients, but these Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms are a personal favorite.
With simple, gluten-free ingredients, you'll stuff irresistible flavors and textures into juicy mushrooms. To keep things gluten-free, there are no breadcrumbs, but with the insanely flavorful sundried tomato and sausage filling, no one will know the difference. Not to mention, if you're serving these to anyone who eats low carb or keto, they will be thrilled!
Also, if you haven't tried these Mediterranean stuffed portabello mushrooms and these loaded potato stuffed mushrooms, what are you waiting for? They are simple to make and packed with healthy nutrients.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Mushrooms are good for you! This is a great way to add vitamin B rich food to your diet.
- No breadcrumbs. These shrooms are gluten-free, low carb, and perfect for keto.
- You can serve this as an elegant holiday appetizer or with a couple of sides as a hearty meal for two.
- Great to make in advance. Assemble the mushrooms ahead of time and bake them before serving.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Mushrooms - For bite-sized stuffed mushrooms, you'll need about 24 small mushrooms like cremini or button. You can also make large stuffed mushrooms using about a dozen portobello caps.
- Sausage - Use your favorite sweet, mild, or hot ground Italian sausage. You can use sausage links. You'll need to remove the ground sausage from the casings first.
- Olive Oil - to cook the sausage in and drizzle over the tops of the mushrooms before baking.
- Onion - adds a layer of sweet and savory flavor. Sweet onion or shallots are best here.
- Parmesan - Using freshly grated parmesan cheese makes a huge difference. When baked, it adds a creamy element to the filling and becomes golden brown and bubbly.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes - I buy dehydrated bagged sun-dried tomatoes and rehydrate them in warm water before chopping.
- Dry Spices - Italian sausage is already loaded with flavor, so you'll only need a bit of fresh cracked pepper and paprika to spice things up. For extra spicy stuffed mushrooms, add red pepper flakes.
- Herbs - Basil brings depth to the mushroom filling. You can use dried or fresh here. I also like to garnish my stuffed mushrooms with chopped parsley or basil before serving, but that's optional.
How To Make Italian Stuffed Mushrooms
Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep mushrooms. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While the oven preheats, prepare your mushrooms. Remove the stems and scoop out some of the middle to make space for the filling. Finely dice the stems.
Step 2: Cook sausage, onion, and mushroom stems. In a large skillet, saute the sausage in olive oil over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the onion and stems and saute until the onion is soft and translucent.
Step 3: Finish filling. Add the parmesan, tomatoes, pepper, paprika, and basil to the skillet and stir continuously until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat.
Step 4: Stuff mushroom caps. Spoon the filling mixture into the center of each cap and drizzle over the tops with olive oil.
Step 5: Bake stuffed mushrooms. Bake in a preheated oven until the mushrooms are roasted and the filling begins to crisp and brown (about 30 minutes).
Step 6: Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!
Recipe Tips
- To clean the mushrooms, wipe them down well with a damp paper towel instead of rinsing them under running water so they stay as dry as possible. If there's an excess of moisture, your stuffed mushroom may become soggy.
- If you're using portobello mushrooms, don't forget to scrape away the gills.
- The mushrooms will shrink in the oven, so don't overstuff them. For small mushrooms, use a heaping tablespoon each.
- Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.
- You can also bake them in a mini muffin pan, which is especially helpful if you have odd-shaped mushrooms that need support to stand upright.
- Switch your oven to broil the last 2 to 3 minutes to get the tops extra crisp and toasted.
Variations
- Less fat - For leaner stuffed mushrooms, you can replace half of the Italian sausage with ground turkey or chicken.
- Dairy-free - Make Italians stuffed mushrooms with no dairy by replacing the parmesan with plant-based parmesan or nutritional yeast.
- Paleo & Whole30 - To make paleo and Whole30 stuffed mushrooms, use your favorite compliant ground sausage or make your own. Another option is using plain ground pork and going heavier on the spices. You'll also need to leave out the cheese. Try replacing it with almond flour, ground pork rinds, nutritional yeast, or some of each.
- Add some crunch - If you're like me and love hors d'oeuvres with crunch, toasted pine nuts or pistachios are a great addition.
- Use a blend of cheeses, including parmesan, parmesan, asiago, and gouda.
Serving Suggestions
As is, Italian stuffed mushrooms are a light and flavorful appetizer to share, but only if you want to! 🙂 Make stuffed mushrooms and serve them alongside a couple of these healthy side dishes. Sharing optional.
- Lemon Balsamic Grilled Aspagrus
- Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
- Roasted Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Easy Caprese Salad
- Bacon Fat Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Making Ahead & Freezing
Making Ahead: Stuffed mushrooms are a great appetizer to make in advance and bake right before serving. You can assemble the mushrooms and refrigerate them in an airtight container 2 to 3 days before baking and serving.
Freezing: You can also freeze uncooked, assembled mushrooms. First, freeze the stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet and then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Keep frozen for 2 to 3 months.
If there happen to be leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy them within 1 to 2 days.
Recipe FAQ
Mushrooms are naturally porous and absorb a ton of moisture. Drying them as well as you can before adding the filling helps keep the mushrooms from becoming watery because there isn't any excess moisture.
Take the time to reheat your mushrooms in the oven or in an air fryer. If you microwave them, they'll become a soggy mess. Reheat them at 350 degrees until the cheese is remelted and bubbly and the mushrooms are warm. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
Small Bites You'll Love
Mini Spicy Pimento Cheese Balls
Shrimp Shooters with Homemade Cocktail Sauce
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Italian Stuffed Mushrooms with Sundried Tomatoes and Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 24 mushrooms or 12 large shrooms
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes very finely chopped (I buy these in a bag and rehydrate them in warm water)
- ½ cup sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- ¾ lb Italian sausage mild or medium
- *Optional: chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Prepare your mushrooms by removing the stems and scooping out a little of the center to make room for your stuffing
- Chop the stems finely and save to add to the stuffing
- Remove sausage from their casings by cutting a slit down the center and squeezing out the meat Discard casings and saute sausage in olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet
- Add onion and mushroom stems and saute until onion is translucent and soft
- Add in all other ingredients and stir until cheese begins to melt
- Fill the mixture into the mushroom caps and drizzle with olive oil
- Bake for about 30 minutes until stuffing begins to brown
- Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired
Notes
- To clean the mushrooms, wipe them down well with a damp paper towel instead of rinsing them under running water so they stay as dry as possible. If there's an excess of moisture, your stuffed mushroom may become soggy.
- If you're using portobello mushrooms, don't forget to scrape away the gills.
- The mushrooms will shrink in the oven, so don't overstuff them. For small mushrooms, use a heaping tablespoon each.
- Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.
- You can also bake them in a mini muffin pan, which is especially helpful if you have odd-shaped mushrooms that need support to stand upright.
- Switch your oven to broil the last 2 to 3 minutes to get the tops extra crisp and toasted.
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SkinnyMommy
Oh my goodness this looks so grand that I may need to adapt my stuffed mushroom recipe to add sundried tomatoes--yum!